Is The Sun Finally Setting On Drive-In Theaters?

As the great songwriter Bobby Braddock wrote--and Tracy Lawrence sang--"Time marches on..." Time, and ever-increasing options in entertainment, have taken their toll on another American institution: the drive-in theater. Now, technological advances threaten the relatively few remaining drive-ins in the U.S.

A recent Associated Press report says, "The number of drive-ins peaked at more than 4,000 in the late 1950s. Now there are 357."

Movie studios have been phasing out the 35mm prints used for decades in motion picture projection, in favor of digital media and projectors. However, with most of the remaining drive-ins being owned by mom-and-pop operators (with most of their business limited to the summer months), the cost to convert their projection rooms and systems to the new medium may prove to be too expensive, causing many owners to consider shutting down for good. Another piece of Americana could go the way of the VCR and cassette tape!

Want to experience a drive-in movie (while you still can)? The nearest drive-in theater to Victoria still in operation is the Showboat Drive-In Theater, in Hockley, TX (near Houston). CLICK HERE to go to their website!